Hi BBQ

Don't see the events in Iran affecting CLL sp too much as right now CLL is being played around with because of buyout fever..One also has to look at the charts CLL usually goes up at this time of year for various reasons. Iran is helping keep the price of oil up and that's about it..IMO Iran invented chess ( or let's call Iran and her people what they really are Persia and Persians) so they know how to play cat and mouse. They correctly see Obama as a very weak President because they remember the last Progressive President Carter from the hostage situation.NOW the Obama lovers will point to Libya ( Obama acted under pressure from France and the cover of Nato) the killing of Bin Laden and the other one in Somalia amomg others as proof he's a hawk. Well assasinating people by drones and approving a military plan already made doesn't make one a warrioir and the Iranians know this. ONLY thing that may push Obama to act is it's an election year and if Iran is stupid enough to block the straights he'll act simply for political reasons. Now Isreal is the game changer. They now that Obama ( who I among the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world know Obama is a Muslim as per Sharia Law) is very pro Muslim and anti Isreal and can't be trusted to protect the interests of Isreali self preservation. The assasinations are most likely Mossad and will continue in order to avoid a direct attack. If the Isreai covert war against Iran doesn't do the job then Isreal will attack unilaterally. Iran will respond by attempting to close the straights which will force Obama to act. Iran will then order it's surragates Hamas in the Gaza strip and Hezbolla in Lebanon to attack Isreal.You may even see Egypt now firmly under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood join the fight against Isreal as well. Iranian ally Muqtatda al- Sadr leader of the powerful Shiite Militia in Iraq ( This is the guy the Americans fought against in the battle of falluja) will probaly start a civil war in Iraq with the assistance of the Iranian rebublican Guard.The Taliban will probably take advantage of an American pullout ( as they shift their forces to protect Saudi Arabia) to launch a major offensive in Afghanistan..China may use it's new found military might to take advantage of the American distraction in the Middle east and go forTaiwan or at least become the dominant Navy in the Asian Pacific Theater, which may cause friction with it's main regional competitor India. Most military stategist will say that India and China will eventually go to war to become the regional supreme power. They've got equal technology and population so any war between them would be real ugly.

I don't see Iran starting anything they're just pounding their chests to keep oil prices high because of sanctions and this is why. China right now is probably the only country buying Iranian oil and they're demanding a serious discount, so higher world oil means higher discounted prices..This mess may actually hurt the tar sands as if China can get huge amounts of cheap Iranian oil they may be less willing to spend money here.

It's going to be an intersting year..Europe and America ( and a lesser extent Canada) are going bankrupt due to massive debt and borrowing to pay for their bloated unionized public sectro workers who will burn down bridges to keep their benefits. American election and a show down in the Middle east.

Of course these are only doomsday scenarios ( although entriely possible) and hypotheticals that probably won't happen..At least I hope not I've got a 20 year old son.

OH and we may as well throw in the end of the world according to the Mayan callender

happy New year